Safety locking means for containers and the like



Oct. 26, 1965 P. SCHMIDT 3,214,055

SAFETY LOCKING MEANS FOR CONTAINERS AND THE LIKE Filed June 15, 1964INVENTOR.

PETE/P SCHMIDT ATTO N Y 1 United States Patent 3,214,055 SAFETY LOCKINGMEANS FOR CONTAINERS AND THE LIKE Peter Schmidt, 66--36 69th St., MiddleVillage, N.Y. Filed June 15, 1964, Ser. No. 375,205 2 Claims. '(Cl.220-55) This invention relates to new and useful improvements incontainers for mailing magnetic tapes, or a film on a reel, as well asvarious kinds of records, or articles requiring a safe and secureenclosure.

Thus, the object of this invention is to provide a container, which,while being sturdy of construction, has an infallible closing mechanismthat will not under any circumstances, even when exposed to roughhandling, permit said container to spring open, or to become open byitself, while at the same time the said mechanism is of a constructionto allow an easy voluntary opening of the container, when knowing how.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention consists of thenovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts,hereinafter fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings forming part of this specification, and in which similarcharacters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all views, andin which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of same, with the cover removed.

FIGURE 3 is an end view of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an end View of the invention with the locking mechanism andin closed position, with parts broken olf.

FIGURE 5 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line 55 in FIGURE4.

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the inside of the cover; While FIGURES 7 and8 show exploded views of the locking mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates acontainer, or casing, made of any suitable material; said container hasa bottom part 11 adapted to receive therein the articles above referredto, and a cover or lid 12 with downwardly depending flanges 13. The saidcover is made with a depression 14 underneath, as shown especially inFIGURE 6.

On the opposite side, that is, at the top 16 of said depression, orcountersunk part 14, is solidly secured a rectangular frame 17 formedwith an also rectangular cut-out part 18 therein adapted to receive acard 19, with name and address, as shown in FIGURE 1; said card beinginserted through a slit 20 in one side of the frame 17; the latter maybe attached to the cover 12 in any convenient manner, such as bysoldering.

The bottom wall 11 is upon its outer side at two opposite ends formedwith depressions 21, as shown in FIG- URE 3; said depressions are joinedby two slightly deeper Patented Oct. 26, 1965 "ice depressions 22 inorder to accommodate a locking mechanism.

The depressed area 21 in said wall has a lip 25 attached thereto at itsupper end, as at 23, leaving a small opening or space 24 at its bottombetween said lip and the bottom wall.

A locking mechanism 26 comprising two elastic and sturdy ribbons 27, 27which are bent upon themselves and oppositely secured inside the flange13 of the wall 12 by rivets 28.

A member 29 forming part of the locking mechanism, and made of anysuitable material, such as plastic, is shown especially in FIGURES 4, 7and 8.

Said member 29 has at its top a cross-piece 30 turnably mounted in oneof the elastic ribbons 27; the member 29 is formed with a cut-out 31below said ribbon, and the lower edge 32 of said cut-out is adapted toengage and snap into the narrow opening 24 beneath the lip 25, as may beespecially seen in FIGURE 5.

This motion is accomplished due to the stretching of the flexible ribbon27 by pulling the member 29 downwardly a certain distance by grippingthe latter by the opening 34 is said member, and subsequently releasesaid ull, whereby the edge 32 will automatically engage the opening 24underneath said lip 25, and a secure and infallible closure will beeffected.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States, is:

1. In a container, two opposite bottom walls being each upon their outersides formed with two depressions of uneven depth adapted to accommodatea locking mechanism, a lip attached at its upper end to the depressedareas of each of said walls, said lips being at their lower ends madewith a small space between themselves and said depression areas, twoelastic ribbons folded upon themselves and being oppositely securedinside a flange by rivets, a member forming part of the lockingmechanism and having at its top a cross-piece turnably mounted in one ofsaid elastic ribbons; said member being made with a cut-out below saidribbon, the lower edge of said cut-out being adapted to engage saidsmall space at the lower end of said lip after said member has beenpulled downwardly by stretching of said ribbon, and the subsequentrelease of same, whereby to secure an infallible enclosure of saidcontainer.

2. In an invention, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said member is formedwith a semi-cylindrical opening near its bottom, whereby to engage saidmember in manipulating the latter in stretching the flexible ribbon.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS THERON E. CONDON,Primary Examiner.

1. IN A CONTAINER, TWO OPPOSITE BOTTOM WALLS BEING EACH UPON THEIR OUTERSIDES FORMED WITH TWO DEPRESSIONS OF UNEVEN DEPTH ADAPTED TO ACCOMMODATEA LOCKING MECHANISM, A LIP ATTACHED AT ITS UPPER END TO THE DEPRESSEDAREAS OF EACH OF SAID WALLS, SAID LIPS BEING AT THEIR LOWER ENDS MADEWITH A SMALL SPACE BETWEEN THEMSELVES AND SAID DEPRESSION AREASM TWOELASTIC RIBBONS FOLDED UPON THEMSELVES AND BEING OPPOSITELY SECUREDINSIDE A FLANGE BY RIVETS, A MEMBER FORMING PART OF THE LOCKINGMECHANISM AND HAVING AT ITS TOP A CROSS-PIECE TURNABLY MOUNTED IN ONE OFSAID ELASTIC RIBBONS; SAID MEMBER BEING MADE WITH A CUT-OUT BELOW SAIDRIBBON, THE LOWER EGDE OF SAID CUT-OUT BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAIDSMALL SPACE AT THE LOWER END OF SAID LIP AFTER SAID MEMBER HAS BEENPULLED DOWNWARDLY BY STRETCHING OF SAID RIBBON, AND THE SUBSEQUENTRELEASE OF SAME, WHEREBY TO SECURE AN INFALLIBLE ENCLOSURE OF SAIDCONTAINER.